Kagome Settles It
by knwho
Summary: Kagome finally clears up any confusion between her, Inuyasha and Koga by choosing one of them. Set during the Band of Seven arc. WIP, RE-UPLOAD, T.
1. Thoughts

**CH. 1 - Thoughts**

**Synopsis:** Kagome finally clears up any confusion between her, Inuyasha and Koga by choosing one of them. Set during the Band of Seven arc.

**A/N: An Inuyasha/Kagome story I wrote when I first joined FFN, I'm re-uploading it. **

* * *

Still in search of Naraku and his castle, Inuyasha and the gang stop by a clearing near a river for night. It also happens to be the night of a new moon – when Inuyasha loses his demon powers and becomes mortal.

As Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo gather around the campfire frying fish, Inuyasha in his mortal form sits cross-armed and legged by the riverbank alone, lost in thought.

He wasn't thinking about Naraku or how the group intends to pursue him but rather about Kagome. It had been her who set him free, her who had stayed by his side even after his meeting with Kikyo where he proclaimed to always protect her so that they wouldn't have to fight anymore. But while he said that to Kikyo, he always looked out for and protected Kagome – he always put her protection before anyone else in the group. He cares for her deeply and deep down knows she is the one he loves, not Kikyo. He also knows that deep down Kagome feels the same. Even if she doesn't show it. Although in several run-ins with Kouga she still stays with him, her efforts however, to help Kouga escape his wrath or injury makes him wonder – is it he or Kouga she wants in spite of her brushback responses to Kouga's advances?

Meanwhile, back at the campsite Shippo is eagerly chewing his fried fish when he suddenly stops seeing that Kagome had stopped eating.

"What the matter, Kagome?" The little fox demon asks.

This prompts Sango and Miroku to stop and look up.

Kagome simply replies, "Oh, it's nothing, just Inuyasha, he's just sitting there alone."

"Well this is the one night when his is most vulnerable, perhaps he just wants to be left alone." Miroku suggests.

"Hmm," agrees Kagome, "still..."

A short while later, while the rest move up to a grass clearing, preparing to go to sleep, Kagome sits staring at Inuyasha, who still has yet to move.

I should go down there and see what's bothering him, she thinks. Kagome kicking over a pebble as she sits down next to him suddenly interrupts Inuyasha's train of thought.

"Hey." She says simply. "Hey." He replies back still not moving.

"Are you all right, Inuyasha? Kagome finally asks after what seemed like hours.

"I'm okay," Inuyasha replies again not moving and not a change in his deadpan voice.

"You're lying," Kagome, whispers looking down.

He didn't respond. They both sit there, neither saying a word until Kagome finally begins again, "Really, what's bothering you, maybe I can help? It is Naraku? Sesshomaru? The Band of Seven? Kouga?" She guesses.

The last one struck a nerve, apparently, as Inuyasha turns and faces her, his auburn eyes staring into her deep brown ones as he takes her hand. Kagome slightly confused looks down at them.

"Kagome…" he says. "I- I- don't love… Kikyo," he manages.

Still confused all she could say was, "Huh?" with a confused look. "I don't know what you're talking about?" she replies.

"Look, I'm not as dense as you or others think I am and I'm not blind either, I know or at least I think I know how you feel about me," Inuyasha continues semi-cryptically.

"Inuyasha…" was Kagome's response.

Inuyasha then got up and said, "I'll see you in the morning," once again in his deadpan voice and left.


	2. Message Decoded

**CH. 2 – Message Decoded**

**A/N: Storyline SPOILERS ahead, If you haven't read the manga or seen the anime, you may hate me. Just a heads up.**

* * *

This time it was Kagome's turn to be lost in thought. What did Inuyasha mean when he said he doesn't love Kikyo? And why did he say he knows how she felt.

Fifty years ago, before Kikyo sealed Inuyasha to the Sacred Tree they were in love – that is until Naraku tricked them both to thinking they had betrayed one another. Before that all they wanted was a life together. Kikyo wanted to be rid of her duty as the protector of the Sacred Jewel and be a normal woman and while Inuyasha wanted to be a full-fledged demon he wanted to be with her more. So, when Kikyo said that they can use the Jewel and turn Inuyasha human so that she can be a ordinary woman and he be together with her, they never thought what happened would happen. Yet still, fifty years later Inuyasha and Kikyo still show signs of love and care for each other, at least in Kagome's eyes, so why then did Inuyasha say he doesn't love her anymore?

After much thought it, finally hit her, maybe he knows that she loves him but because of Kikyo he knew she couldn't interfere, but now that he doesn't love Kikyo perhaps she and Inuyasha can move closer to each other. After replaying that solution in her head several time Kagome concludes that must be why he say what he did about him and Kikyo.

Although she was still unsure about what he meant about knowing how she felt. She did love him, of course, very much so, but why did he say that she wondered.

What prompted him to say it? She thought and thought until she came upon the answer. _Yatta!_ She thought excitedly. He only showed some life in his response after she mentioned Kouga, she reasoned.

It's Kouga that bothers him, and for good reason, she continued in her reasoning, Inuyasha must love her too, which is why he acts so jealous and protective of her when Kouga is around. Yet each time she helps Kouga escape Inuyasha, defends, treats, or acts generous towards him it must tear Inuyasha apart. That thought saddened her.

While Inuyasha may be too proud to say 'I Love You' he shows it instead by protecting her – her well-being is always his number one priority whenever they encounter a dangerous situation, she recalls. He is willing to do anything for her, even something as menial as taking her lunch after she forgot.

So, the way she acts towards Kouga, must really hurt Inuyasha. Never did she tell Kouga to get lost and never come back or the she doesn't love him. She was never serious around Kouga, maybe that's why he continues to think that she is available. That's it, she reasoned, she's never been firm with Kouga about leaving her alone but the next time she sees him she vowed, she will be.

But first, she has to tell Inuyasha how she feels and get him to do the same. "I need to get him alone." She thought as she headed back to see everyone asleep.

She soon follows suit in her sleeping bag.


	3. Confessions

**CH. 3 – Confession**

* * *

The group woke up the next morning – Inuyasha having regained his demon powers, holds the lead as the group continues northeast in search of Naraku and his demonic aura.

After traveling for most of the morning, the group decides to stop for lunch, which of course consisted mainly of Ninja Food Instant Noodle and potato chips. While they were eating Kagome spots a small outpost shack that would be perfect for them to tell one another how they feel without the eyes and attentive ears of their traveling companions. As they all finish and sigh with content, especially Shippo, Kagome asks Inuyasha to accompany her for a walk to refill water.

"Inuyasha, would you help me refill the water bottles?" She asks.

"I guess," Inuyasha reverting back to his "I don't care" attitude, "Where?"

"I saw a well just up the road past the outpost shack," Kagome replies.

"All right," he agrees, "see you guys in a bit."

As he picks up Kagome's yellow backpack and they start down the road.

"Miroku," Sango begins when the two are out of earshot, "didn't we refill the bottles last night near the river?"

"Yes," Miroku says deep in thought.

"Then what do you suppose they're going to do?"

"Possibly, Inuyasha and Kagome will finally tell each other their feelings," suggests Miroku.

"Hmm…" was all Sango could say as she looking down the road at the pair becoming smaller and smaller.

"Miroku, Sango, what's love?" Shippo asks innocently.

"Ah, ah, well…" they both stammered, both blushing slghtly.

"Well, love is when two people feel a deep connection for one another and with go to any length to do whatever it is to make them and their partner happy," Miroku finally conjures up.

"Oh I see, so I guess Inuyasha must really love Kagome since he's always protecting her and visiting her in the modern world."

Miroku and Sango just look at each other and smile.

"Where is it I don't see a well?" Inuyasha says looking around.

"Oh it's, it's, actually…" Kagome says nervously as she rubs the back of her neck.

"I just needed to talk with you," she finishes.

"Why not talk front of the others? We're wasting time, wait do we even need to refill bottles," he asks as he opens Kagome's backpack showing six filled to the bream bottles. "What?" he screams, "These are full," eyeing Kagome with a suspicious, semi-serious look.

Kagome just laughs nervously and continues to rub her neck. Inuyasha just sighs, and asks what she needed that was so important that she had to lie to talk about.

"Can we go in here, then?" she asks. He agrees reluctantly.

Inside, he sits in his usual cross-legged form while she sits gently on her calfs facing him.

"So, what is it that you needed to see me alone?" Inuyasha asks.

Kagome rubs her hands together nervously and begins, "Well, the other night you said some things that I thought we need to talk about. You said you don't love Kikyo, does that mean…" Her voice trails off as she bit her lip, after a few moments she begins again.

"Does that mean you… love me?" Kagome cautiously finishes and looks down at the floor.

Inuyasha just stares at her; not in a mad way or sad or even surprised but rather with an expression of a person whom just had a huge burden lifted from their shoulders. He takes her hand as she looks up; their eyes meeting another in a gaze, which made time, seem to stand still and no else exist but them.

"Kagome…" He whispers. "Yes." Inuyasha says finally as he continues to stare into her beautiful brown eyes and her into his auburn ones which seem to give off a brighter hue then she remembered.

After what seemed like hours he dropped her hand and raised her chin and they met in a kiss unlike any either had ever experienced.

Once their lips separated, Kagome spoke once more, "I think I now why you had such a hard time telling me, it is because I think you knew I couldn't compare to Kikyo because she gave up her life for you something no measure of me would be able to fill in your heart, but I think what's more is my behavior…"

She pauses, listening intently Inuyasha could only whisper her name.

"I've made you feel like my protector and only that when in fact you are much more in the eyes of Kouga, with my defending him, tending to him and stopping you from telling him either physically or otherwise to leave me alone. To you may have looked as if I cared or even loved him, that may have stopped you and I'm sorry but I care and Iove you, very deeply." She ends.

"Kagome… it was difficult seeing you do nothing about his advances but to hear you say that now it eases any pain I may have felt. I love you, Kagome." He responds.

Blushing slightly, Kagome lightly touches her cheeks with both hands then says, "I love you too, Inuyasha."

They embrace and kiss once more. When they broke the kiss, Kagome speaks up nervously, "So, does this complicate things?"

Inuyasha takes her hands again and says softly, "A bit, but I will always be there for you when you need me or to tell you to go home after a fight."

They laugh as he puts his arms around her.


End file.
